Here’s an overview of what’s been going on in class in grades PK-1:
Pre-Kindergarten
Students are learning to follow routines and develop relationships with their classmates.
Physical Development and Health: We are practicing safety rules with students. We are encouraging them to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze, and to wash hands after using the bathroom. Keep this up at home!
Social Emotional Development: Each child is special and has strengths and knowledge that is different from the other students. Please help us encourage the students to use kind words, keep their hands to themselves and to practice good listening skills.
Reading and Communication: Reading to your child daily is important in developing early literacy skills. Bedtime stories or reading on the subway are great ways to bond while getting your child ready to read. Have them notice letters and sounds [and numbers] when you’re out. When pre-reading a book, help your child make predictions about what the story may be about.
Math: We continue to count objects, name colors and shapes. We describe objects using color and shapes. As you walk with your child count the cars or buses that you see, talk about the shapes you pass. Consider including your child in cooking activities to measure or count ingredients.
Social Studies: This month we will learn continue to learn about our relationship to family and community and encourage respect for diversity in our multicultural school community.
Kindergarten
Reading: Readers will continue to grow their love of reading by enjoying old favorite story books. They are also beginning to follow and read text pattern books.
Writing: Students will be writing Show and Tell books, where we describe, draw, and label our favorite toys and places.
Math: Students will continue with our counting routine and different counting strategies. Students will also sort objects by attributes and learn about 2D and 3D shapes in their environment.
Science: Students will learn about the different properties of wood and paper and how they can change in different factors.
Social Studies: Students will continue to learn about the school community by learning about rules and how they keep us safe and all about families, traditions and holidays in relation to themselves and others.
1st Grade
Reading: In this unit, students will be word detectives that notice tough words as they read and stop to solve these words right away. Students will work to apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills. They will read with more accuracy and fluency, which will help support their comprehension of the text. They will use strategies like: using good habits to solve tricky words, looking at all parts of the word, using context clues (use the picture), retelling by using their fingers and inferencing
Writing: Students will be writing How-To books, which are teaching books, written in steps, that show your reader how to do something important. Students will be using a writing process where they will touch and tell on each page and draw their pictures. Then students will write their how-to steps, which will include an introduction, diagram and conclusion.
Math: We will be making shapes and designing quilts.
Science: We will be studying air and weather: In this unit students will understand what air can do as well as learn about the seasons.
Social Studies: We will be learning about community and families: Students will explore why families and communities are important and the ways in which they are similar and different.